“Rio Bravo” (リオ・ブラボー), Original Japanese Re-Release Movie Poster 1973, Theatre-Used B2 with Local Theatre Snipe / Program Printed on Verso, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) I315

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster for the 1973 Japanese re-release of Rio Bravo (リオ・ブラボー), Howard Hawks’s classic American Western starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, and Walter Brennan.

This is a particularly interesting theatre-used revival poster, made more collectible by the rare local theatre program / snipe printed directly on the verso. The reverse carries bold red hand-silkscreened Japanese text for a Western action triple-bill, giving this exact copy a documented exhibition history and a strong Showa-era cinema character.

Film background
Originally released in 1959, Rio Bravo is one of the defining Westerns of the classical Hollywood period. Directed by Howard Hawks, the film follows Sheriff John T. Chance, played by John Wayne, as he attempts to hold a dangerous prisoner while facing pressure from a powerful local rancher and his hired gunmen.

The film is celebrated for its relaxed pacing, ensemble chemistry, memorable performances, and elegant balance of suspense, humour, music, and frontier masculinity. Dean Martin gives one of his finest dramatic performances as Dude, while Ricky Nelson and Walter Brennan help give the film its distinctive warmth and rhythm.

Poster design
This Japanese B2 re-release poster features a classic Western action composition. John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Ricky Nelson dominate the central image, posed with rifle and revolvers beneath a dramatic desert sky. Their triangular arrangement gives the poster strong visual balance, while the stormy background adds tension and cinematic scale.

At the top, the Japanese cast billing lists:

ジョン・ウェイン / ディーン・マーチン / ウォルター・ブレナン / リッキー・ネルソン / アンジー・ディッキンソン / ワード・ボンド

The vertical Japanese copy at right describes the film’s core dramatic conflict: three men placing their lives on the line under the discipline of a trumpet’s melody. The large red Japanese title リオ・ブラボー dominates the lower section, with the original English title RIO BRAVO printed within the image area above.

The poster also carries Howard Hawks director credit, Warner Bros. distribution branding, and the note 優秀映画鑑賞会推薦 — indicating recommendation by a film appreciation society for the re-release campaign.

Verso / theatre snipe significance
The reverse is one of the most interesting aspects of this example. It carries a bold red local theatre bill, likely hand-silkscreened, for 北都映劇 — Hokuto Eiga — advertising a Western action triple feature.

The verso appears to promote:

「黄金を追う男」
“The Man Who Chases Gold” — associated with a theatrical presentation of a Cheyenne television episode.

「国境の決戦」
“Decisive Battle at the Border” — another Cheyenne-related Western presentation.

「リオ・ブラボー」
Rio Bravo, the main feature.

The date 8月11日 appears prominently, together with local theatre details and discount information. This kind of local overprint / snipe makes the poster far more than a standard re-release sheet: it becomes a specific, theatre-used exhibition artifact from the Japanese revival circuit.

Condition
Good vintage theatre-used condition. Please review the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale, including the front, back, and close-up details.

The poster displays well overall and retains strong visual impact, but it clearly shows signs of original cinema use and age. Visible condition points include fold lines, handling creases, edge wear, surface wear, and paper loss / tearing at the upper-left corner. The verso silkscreened theatre program may also contribute to slight waviness or show-through, which is typical of this kind of theatre-used local overprint.

These condition points have been taken into account in the pricing. Once framed, the poster should still display very attractively, especially given its rarity and unusual documented theatre-use history.

This poster is an original Japanese B2 re-release poster from 1973.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is over 50 years old!

Certificate of Authenticity included.